Behavior modeling in a gaming environment with contextual accuracy

Abstract

An interactive gaming system is described in which characters are generated and controlled to model human behavior in an accurate manner. The behaviors of the characters are contextually accurate because the behaviors adapt to accurately reflect the attitudes of the characters toward the user. A database stores relationship data representing the attitudes of the characters. A gaming engine executing on a computer is coupled to the database and receives input representing the user's interaction with the character and updates the relationship data. The gaming engine generates media for display to the user based on the relationship data. The media may include text-based dialogue, digital photographs of the character, video, audio and the like. The database stores data defining one or more behavior patterns by which the gaming engine dynamically generates the gaming environment and controls the character so as to model human nature.

1 . A method comprising: 
 maintaining relationship data representing perception of at least one attribute of a user by a character in a gaming environment;    selecting one of a plurality of behavior patterns for the character based on the relationship data; and    generating media for the gaming environment based on the selected behavior pattern.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising receiving input representing interaction of a user with the character within the gaming environment.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising communicating the media to the user via a computer network.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 3   , wherein generating media comprises generating text-based dialogue.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 3   , wherein generating media comprises generating graphics.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein each behavior pattern is associated with a set of frames and generating media comprises assembling character-specific media and situation-specific media based on a current frame of the selected behavior pattern.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6   , wherein assembling the character specific media and the situation specific media comprises selecting character-specific media and situation-specific media based on media tags specified by the current frame.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising selecting the character from a plurality of characters, wherein each character is associated with character-specific media.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8    further comprising 
 maintaining a set of character tag types;  
 maintaining a set of character tags for each of the characters based on the set of character tag types; and  
 associating the character-specific media with the corresponding character via the character tags.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 3   , wherein generating media comprises selecting a digital photograph of the character based on the selected behavior pattern.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising selecting one of a plurality of situations, wherein each situation is associated with situation-specific media, and generating media includes generating one of the situation-specific media based on the selected behavior pattern and the selected situation.  
     
     
         12 . A method comprising: 
 selecting one of a plurality of situations, wherein each situation is associated with media;    selecting one of a plurality of characters, wherein each character is associated with media;    selecting one of a plurality of behavior patterns for the character; and    forming a gaming environment from the media associated with the selected situation and the media associated with the selected character based on the selected behavior pattern.    
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 12   , wherein further comprising: 
 receiving input from the user representing interactions of the user with the characters; and    updating a set of relationship variables for each character based on the received input.    
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 13   , further comprising selecting a second behavior pattern as a function of the updated relationship variables.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 13   , further comprising selecting a photograph for the character based on the relationship variables.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 13   , further comprising selecting a second situation as a function of the updated relationship variables.  
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable medium having instructions for causing a programmable processor to: 
 maintain relationship data representing attitude of a character of a game toward a user; and    select one of a plurality of behavior patterns based on the relationship data.    
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17   , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to: 
 receive input representing interaction of the user with the character; and    update relationship data based on the input, wherein the relationship data represents attitude of the character toward the user; and    
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17    wherein each behavior pattern has a set of frames and the instructions cause the processor to assemble character-specific media and situation-specific media based on a current frame of the selected behavior pattern.  
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17   , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to control the character within the gaming environment based on the relationship data.  
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to: 
 generate media based on the relationship data; and  
 communicate the media to the user.  
 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 21    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to generate text-based dialogue.  
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 21    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to select character-specific media and situation-specific media based on media tags specified by the current frame.  
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to select the character from a plurality of characters, wherein each character is associated with character-specific media.  
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 24    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to: 
 maintain a set of character tag types;  
 maintain a set of character tags for each character of character based on the set of character tag types; and  
 associate the character-specific media with the corresponding character via the character tags.  
 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 17    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to select a digital photograph of the character based on the relationship data.  
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 19    further comprising instructions for causing the processor to select one of a plurality of situations, wherein each situation is associated with situation-specific media.  
     
     
         28 . A computer-readable medium having data structure stored thereon, the data structure comprising: 
 a set of data fields to store behavior patterns for a character of an online game; and    a set of data fields to store relationship data for the character, wherein the relationship data represents perception by the character of a user.    
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 28    further comprising a third set of data fields to store range data mapping the behavior patterns to ranges of the relationship data.  
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 28    further comprising: 
 a set of data fields to store situations for the online game; and  
 a set of data fields to store range data mapping the situations to ranges of the relationship data.  
 
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 28    further comprising a set of data fields to store initialization data for the relationship data, wherein the initialization data represents one or more predispositions of the character.  
     
     
         32 . A computer-readable medium having a data structure stored thereon comprising: 
 a data field to store a likeability relationship skill variable representing a degree to which a character likes a user;    a data field to store a trust relationship skill variable representing a degree to which the character trusts the user; and    a third data field to store a power relationship skill variable representing a level of power that the character perceives the user having.    
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable medium of    claim 32    further including: 
 a fourth data field to store a intelligence relationship skill variable representing a level of intelligence that the character perceives the user having; and  
 a fifth data field to store an attraction relationship skill variable representing a level of attraction that the character has for the user.  
 
     
     
         34 . A system comprising: 
 a database to store relationship data representing an attitude of a character toward a user of an online game, and behavioral data defining one or more behavior patterns for the character; and    a gaming engine executing on a computer coupled to the database to select one of the behavior patterns based on the relationship data.    
     
     
         35 . The system of    claim 34   , wherein the gaming engine generates media for display to the user based on the relationship data.  
     
     
         36 . The system of    claim 35   , wherein the media comprises text-based dialogue.  
     
     
         37 . The system of    claim 35   , wherein the media comprises a digital photograph of the character.  
     
     
         38 . The system of    claim 35   , wherein the media comprises video and audio.  
     
     
         39 . The system of    claim 34   , wherein the gaming engine receives input representing interaction of the user with the character and updates the relationship data.  
     
     
         40 . The system of    claim 34   , wherein the database stores a set of frames for each behavior pattern and the gaming engine generates the media for the online game by assembling character-specific media and situation-specific media specified by the current frame of the selected behavior pattern.